The Ministry of Culture receives the library of the granddaughter of former Egyptian Prime Minister Yahya Pasha Ibrahim

The Ministry of Culture received the private library of Mrs. Mervat Ahmed Yahya, the granddaughter of the former Prime Minister of Egypt, Yahya Pasha Ibrahim, who drafted the 1923 constitution.
The rare collection includes books in Arabic, English, French, Italian, and German, some of which date back to the sixteenth century, in addition to several manuscripts, which provide an in-depth look at Egypt’s ancient literary and political history.

During a meeting with Mrs Mervat’s children, Dr Ahmed Fouad Hanno, Minister of Culture, praised the family’s initiative, stressing the Ministry’s constant keenness to protect cultural heritage.

He pointed out that the Ministry of Culture welcomes such constructive initiatives and pledges to preserve and protect this historical legacy of books and volumes. He stressed that the Egyptian House of Books contains a number of private libraries of symbols of thought, literature and politics, whose owners were keen to gift them to the Ministry to preserve them and make them available to everyone.

He explained that the Ministry is working, through a specialized committee from the National Library and Archives, to sort and index the collection, and to develop a plan to restore a number of these volumes to preserve this added value to the Egyptian National Library.

For her part, Hebat Allah Al-Mansouri, the eldest daughter of Mrs. Mervat Ahmed Yahya, said: “I grew up surrounded by these precious books, which deepened my sense of pride and appreciation for their historical and intellectual value. These books were not only a source of knowledge, but they were also a symbol of my mother’s keenness - may God have mercy on her - throughout Her l is dedicated to preserving the cultural and intellectual heritage of Egypt.”

She added: "We are proud to gift this collection to one of the monuments of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, as it will be carefully preserved using advanced Egyptian techniques to ensure that it remains in excellent condition for future generations."

This collection is the the legacy of Mrs. Mervat Ahmed Yahya, who passed away in 2012. The collection includes many prominent works such as “The Revival of Religious Sciences” by Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali, “The Book of Cotton” by Fuad Siraj al-Din Pasha, and “Meadows of Gold.” “The Precious Stones” by Sheikh Imam Al-Masoudi, in addition to rare editions of famous international novels.